Should prostitution be legal?

Prostitution. Interesting word.

Considering the fact that we all offer ourselves for money for services rendered, what is a prostitute? Hell, let's face it, we are all for sale. In third world countries there are even "bodily organ merchants" who buy organs from healthy "living" people. We sell our sperm, blood and even our children if we think they have a chance of becoming famous. So what's the big deal about someone selling their professional, sexual expertise? If we can make a buck at it, we'll do it. I don't care what it is. Some even spend a fortune on gold, cars, and diamonds to express their love; telling your boss how great he or she looks today. As long as we are slaves to money, I am afraid prostitution is something we will just have to deal with.
Sorry for the scarcasm. Prostitution, legal or illegal, is still prostitution. I couldn't resist.
William

You are correct that the selling of sex is only the selling of labor, but it is an extension of one injustice to one greater still... Economic injustice always results in sexual injustice... It is an attack on the last essential form of community... It has only the meaning of the final breakdown of society, where no morals hold meaning, and no relationship can be certain, and forms have become only forms without life in them... What sort of relationship does one have with a prostitute??? It is a financial relationship... What you buy is a moment of intimacy for a price... What do you get??? What lasting value can you take with you??? It is over before it is done... It has no meaning...It is the denial of meaning... It is demeaning...

the idea of banning prostitution is rediculous. It has been socially unacceptable for the past milenia, has that stopped anyone...no. If its their body, its their choice as to whether or not they sell it to the highest bidder. While the morals of pimping are dubious at best, prostitution is just an act of desperation, like scab working. In fact, the truly morraly dubious act is trying to impose ones own morals on a large scale when these highborn conclusions endanger the livelihoods of thousands of people

For prostitution and drugs, we aren't really making a whole lot of new laws. Just struggling with how best to enforce the original laws we came up with.

Prostitution is legal in Amsterdam and Greece, and I don't see their society breaking down. In fact, in Amsterdam people report a much greater sense of well being than in America.

People already have sex with no strings attached, and they always have - prostitution just makes it easier.

The illegality of prostitution is a relatively new thing, and it has never been the end all of a civil society.

I don't see the selling of labor as an injustice, but don't worry - we'll have robots to do all of our real labor someday - lol.

I personally doubt that I would ever pay for sex, but your statement that it is the final breakdown of society, where no morals hold any meaning is ridiculous. What, do you think no one is going to get married anymore, because they can have sex with no strings attached? People don't get married or settle down because of sex. People already have sex with no strings attached, and they always have - prostitution just makes it easier.

The illegality of prostitution is a relatively new thing, and it has never been the end all of a civil society. The problems with our global society are crime, injustice, nation-state warfare, weapons of mass destruction, nationalism, racism, superstition, etc. etc; paying to have sex is not one of them. Prostitution is legal in Amsterdam and Greece, and I don't see their society breaking down. In fact, in Amsterdam people report a much greater sense of well being than in America.

Greek society is breaking down, if you have been paying attention to european news. Amsterdam has a whole host of problems and Amsterdam is happier because its people are wealthier and have better welfare than US citizens- nothing to do with prostitution or society.

Prostitution is the opposite of sex with no strings attached- it is dangerous, as you could get robbed or contract stds if you are a client, and a prostitute risks the same plus murder. Prostitutes in 999/1000 cases do so because of somthing that is entrapping them- drugs, poverty or organised crime. I very much doubt that you will find any prositutes who enjoy their work, and in many cases it amounts to alowing yourself to be raped for money.

Prositution has rarely been illegal historically, true, but it has almolst never been seens as moral. Alone, obviously, it isn't going to end society, but it is part of a far wider and more deadly materialism that has become an endemic problem in modern society.

I'll simply say, ether way people are going to do it, Legal or not, and fact wise when it comes to certain areas and age groups laws work like reverse-psychology.

Places were its legal to carry a gun - have lower crime rates
USA having the highest drinking age - Teens wanting to go out and drink more over other country's.
Smoking- Teens do it cause its cool and illegal for them to get any of it.

If you tell someone to not do something, chances are you probably just made them want to do it more. Its common knowledge to anyone with common understanding.

Do you have any kind of evidence for these claims?

The US is the worst country sorted by crime rates, and it is the only country that I know of that allows carrying guns.

This is a fallacy.

If what you say is true, that higher crime rates are do to gun carrying then by all means states where there are carry laws should have higher crime rates. They don't. Just the opposite is true. States where gun carrying is illegal tend to have higher gun related crimes.

There is another reason why the US has higher crime rates. I bet it has to do with religion instead of guns themselves.

I must disagree, in Cannada they have guns too, but not as great a crime rate.

I'll simply say, ether way people are going to do it, Legal or not, and fact wise when it comes to certain areas and age groups laws work like reverse-psychology.

Places were its legal to carry a gun - have lower crime rates
USA having the highest drinking age - Teens wanting to go out and drink more over other country's.
Smoking- Teens do it cause its cool and illegal for them to get any of it.

If you tell someone to not do something, chances are you probably just made them want to do it more. Its common knowledge to anyone with common understanding.

Do you have any kind of evidence for these claims?

The US is the worst country sorted by crime rates, and it is the only country that I know of that allows carrying guns.

This is a fallacy.

If what you say is true, that higher crime rates are do to gun carrying then by all means states where there are carry laws should have higher crime rates. They don't. Just the opposite is true. States where gun carrying is illegal tend to have higher gun related crimes.

There is another reason why the US has higher crime rates. I bet it has to do with religion instead of guns themselves.

Also Canadians are less religious than the US so if my theory that religion is the cause behind a majority of intolerance and violence then by all means Canada would reflect that by having less gun violence than the US.

While I do agree that telling someone not to do something can have a reverse-psychological effect, I do not agree that something should be legalized because some people will do it anyway.

Murder is illegal, but some people will do it anyway; stealing is illegal, but some people will do it anyway; but none of this means it should endorsed with legalization.

I believe that prostitution should be legalized for the same reasons mentioned in this article, as long as it is regulated. As long as it's done that way I believe it is ethical. It is illegal prostitution that I find to be unethical, but it only exists because over governments make it illegal.

Legal prostitutes are simply sex workers, just like porn stars. If the pornography business is legal then why shouldn't prostitution be legal? Both jobs receive income from sexual performance.

I believe that the illegalization of prostitution stems from Judeo-Christian moral values making their way into our public policy.